The first three workflow tasks should be completed before beginning the other items that this section is focused on configuring. There are two methods that will be shown, (1) Using Graphical User Interfaces (GUI) for the FlashArray and Windows Server Disk Management and (2) Using Windows PowerShell and Pure Storage PowerShell SDK.

This section assumes that there is a Pure Storage FlashArray setup and configured with hosts and all SAN/Network fabric connectivity in place.

FlashArray Management GUI

Create FlashArray Volume(s)

The FlashArray Management interface is very simple to use. Follow the below steps to create a volume. Repeat the same actions to create a volume named ReFS (optional).

1. Create a new volume named NTFS.

Viewing the created NTFS volume.

Connect FlashArray Volume(s) to Host (or Host Group)

1. Connect the NTFS volume to SERVER08.

Selecting the NTFS volume to connect to SERVER08.

Viewing the NTFS volume that is now connected to SERVER08.

Windows Server Disk Management

Manage FlashArray Volume(s) from Windows Server Host

1. Start Disk Management using Start > Run > diskmgmt.msc

2. Perform Rescan Disks.

3. Initialize disks by right-clicking on the Disk # and selecting Initialize Disk.

4. The Initialize Disk dialog will open and indicate all of the disks that need to be initialized. For this example there is Disk 1 (NTFS) and Disk 2 (ReFS) that will be initialized using GPT (Guid Partition Table). GPT is used to support disks larger that 2 TB.

5. Create a volume by right-clicking on the disk partition and selecting New Simple Volume.

6. The New Simple Volume Wizard will open, click Next >

7. Specify Volume Size, the default is used for use maximum size.

8. Assign Drive Letter or Path, the default is used of selecting the next available driver letter.

Create Mounts Point(s) (Optional)

1. Right-click on the disk partition and select Change Drive Letter and Paths...

2. The Change Drive Letter and Paths for the selected disk will be opened. Click Add...

3. Add Drive Letter or Path is opened. Since there is already a drive letter assigned the Mount in the following empty NTFS folder is selected. Click Browse...

4. Navigate using the Browse for Drive Path dialog and either select and existing folder or create a New Folder... In the below example a new folder and sub-folder have been created named \FlashArrayMounts\NTFS. Click OK.

5. Click OK.

6. Now the newly assigned mount point can be seen in the Change Drive Letter and Paths for the selected disk.

The volume(s) now have an assigned mount point.

Windows PowerShell

Create FlashArray Volume(s)

The volumes that will be used in the examples are based on the NTFS and ReFS file systems. The host that will be used is named SERVER01 and is running Windows Server 2016 with Windows PowerShell 5.0.

Following the Windows PowerShell examples assumes that the Pure Storage PowerShell SDK has been installed. If the PowerShell SDK has not been installed please see the Pure1 Support > Programming Interfaces > Windows PowerShell to get started.

1. Start a new Windows PowerShell session or open the PowerShell Integrated Scripting Environment (ISE).

If the volumes need to be visible to a cluster of Windows Server hosts then they need to be connected to a Host Group. The following steps show how to create a Host Group, add a Host and then connect the volume to the Host Group.

If the SAN Policy of the Windows Server host is kept at the default of OfflineShared when the volumes are connected to the host they will not come online automatically. Performing a Get-Disk will indicate that they have an OperationalStatus of Offline.